With the New Hampshire primary just one day away, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is having trouble capturing the support of women — young and old — to rally behind her cause,
The Washington Post reports.
The post notes that the latest sign came Sunday when a new CNN-WMUR survey in New Hampshire shows Sen. Bernie Sanders edging out Clinton by 8 percentage points — a big difference from her support in Iowa where she won women by 11 points.
Over the weekend, not only did former Secretary of State Madeline Albright tell female voters at Clinton's rally that "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other," but feminist Gloria Steinem took to Twitter noting that young women only support Sanders because they "want attention from boys."
The two comments have been heavily criticized and has hindered Clinton's ability to mobilize minorities.
Clinton defended Albright's remarks on Sunday's "Meet the Press" program by saying her words were a "lighthearted, but very pointed remark, which people can take however they choose."
"I think what she was trying to do, what she's done in every setting I've ever seen her in going back 20-plus years, was to remind young women, particularly, that this struggle, which many of us have been part of, is not over," Clinton continued.
Steinem also apologized for her comment on Twitter for "what's been misinterpreted as implying young women aren't serious in their politics," she said.
The Post notes that "a question for Clinton is whether she can use what is looking to be an extended primary campaign against Sanders to energize women for the general election should she win the nomination."
And while many older women's right advocates see the election of Clinton for president as a no-brainer, some younger activists have expressed resentment at the fact that they feel obligated to vote for Clinton because she is a female.
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